Jambs hamilton



JAMEsHAMiLToN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

`Sl-UlVlVLIILI FOR SAWING TIMBER WITH DIRECT OR COMPOUND BEVEL Specification of Letters Patent No. 3,342, dated November 21, 1843.' i

ToaZZ whom Z may concern.' j

Be it `known that I, JAMES HAMILTON, of the city, county, and State of New York, engineer, have invented and made and applied to use certain new and useful improvements in the construction and equipments of sawmill gates and frames and sawmill headblocks and holding-dogs, such improvements being combined and connected in use for the especial purpose of attaining mechanical means by which timber may be sawed with a direct or indirect straight cut or with a common or compound curved line, or in either case with the addition of a common straight or curved bevel or compound of bevels to the face or side of the timber, or

what is technically termed a winding cut,`

for any required purpose, but more particularly for sawing timber into the various forms required for ship-building, for which improvementsl` seek Letters Patent of the ments and the mode of constructing and using the same `and the ends attained thereby are fully and substantially set forth `and shown in the following description and in the drawings annexed to and making part of this specification, wherein j Figure 1 isa general plan. Fig. 2 is a side elevation seen from the side A on Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an end elevation seen from the end B on Fig. 1. Fig. Ll is a vertical cross seot-ion as if cut through at the position of the saw, these gures represent the general arrangement of a sawmill with my improvements fitted and in use, the other figures are separately referred to, and the same letters and numbers,`as marks of reference apply to the same parts in all the several figures.

C, C, are the bed frames; D, D, the standard posts and string pieces. E, is a gallows frame.V F, is a` metal frame either attached to the fender postsand string pieces or suspended from a traveling frame above when the saw is made to travel horizontally, in the inode described and represented in my patent dated the 27 June 184:0. These parts carry the working portions of the machinery as` follows:

a, is a driving, drum, connected by akbelt to any competent motive power, and mounted on a shaft Z2, whose journals are in bearings c, c, on the top of the gallows frame E.

CZ, cZ, are two iiywheels, on the shaft b,

each having a crank p'in te, c, to each Aof which is connectedsling f, f. These slings United States, and that the said improveare jointed to the upper ends'o-f the pitnien I or connecting rods g, g, working on guide slides on the frame E, the lower ends being connected tothe metal bar Zz that forms the head piece of the sawgate, which is completed by the side pieces z', Z, and metal foot piece 7c.

Z, Z, are the side pieces, Z, thetop piece, and Z2, the bottoni piece of an interior saw frame, which has on the top and bottom `pieces four `metal gromets, m., m, m, m

through which the head piece ZL, and foot piece is of the sawgate support the saw frame so that it can be made to slide laterally on the bars zrand 7c. by means hereafter described.

n n, Fig. 2 are the upper guide slides on the frame F, to the upper pads on the sawgate, and o, o, Figs. 2, 3, and 4f,` the lower guide slides to the lower pads to prevent any lateral or swaying motion of the sawgate. This mode of mounting the saw frame in the sawgate is shown on section in the detached Fig. 9, and in' Figs. 3 and 4 the gromets m, mi, are shown with setscrews to secure them from sliding laterally when the saw is to be employed in sawing straight cuts.

On the shaft Z, is a cam q, see Figs.` 8 and 4t` above whichis one end ofthe lever p, having its fulcrum at l, attached to any con* venient support, and having jointed to it` the upper end of the vertical rod r, the lower endof which is connected to the inner end of a cross lever r on a fulcrum joint 2, the

outer end of the lever r1, is jointed to the upper end of a vertical rod r2, the lower end j `the pawl into the teeth of the `feeding ratchet wheel r6 next this is the vertical lever r4 having a fulcrum 3, on the bed frame C, and jointedto this is a horizontal ,slide t going behind the slide r3, with a pin on it -to draw back the pawl s. Next above this `a second slide piece T5, is connected to the lever r4 and going behind and pastthe ratchet wheel r6, finishes with two inclined planes or ratchet teeth, 4: and `5, next these the adjustables carriage 8, on the frame C, carries thetwo holdingpawls 6 and 7, which j each have a side pin see Fig. l to overlie the inclined planes or teeth 4and `5, so that by moving thelever r?, in the `direction of the arrow on it, see 2, the driving pawls, andholding pawls, `and 7, are all `disenside the ratchet wheel r6, these two are mounted on the feed shaft rs see Figs. 3, and t.' This has two pinions c, 'v gearing into teeth racks u, u, on the underside of the log carriage frames r9, in the usual manner. In fitting this lever r4, and slides t, and y T5, the slide t may in some cases be dispensedA with and a pin,ror an arm and pin, or lip be placed upon the slide rs, to draw back the pawl s, at the same time that the holding pawls 6, and 7 are lifted by the inclined planes 4, and 5.

lThe vertical lever m has its fulcrum on one of the cross pieces of the gallows frame and the top end is fitted with an inclined plane y, see Figs. 2 and 4, that comes beneath a pad fw, which is to be made adjustable by a slot and screws going through holes in the descending` feed rod 1", and by allowing the pad fw, and rod 1", to descend so much that the moving end of the lever j), is in contactwith the cam g during each whole rotation, a large feed of the log will be given to the saw below, while by placing the pad tu, lower on the rod 1, the cam g, will only come in contact with the moving end of the lever 29, when the longer axis of the cam is near the vertical line, and thus give a very small feed to the saw, or the pad may have any intermediate position, and when in work by moving the lever in the direction of the arrow see Fig. 2, the feed can be decreased by the upper part of the inclined plane y, lessening the vertical motion of the pad w and rod r, or the feed may be increased by moving the lever m in the opposite direction as the rise of the cam g, operates by the lever p, rod r, cross lever r1, and rod r2, to send the pawl s down and give the ratchet wheel WG an intermittent motion 4in the same direction, the amount of which motion is regulated by the position of the pad w, and lever @o with its inclined plane y.

The saw 0S, is to be mounted in the frame in the mode shown sectionally in larger size in the detached Fig. 10 where the top stretcher Z of the frame is shown with a saw sling c5 von it, a center pin c is put upward through the lower bight of the sling,

and kept in place by a collar and pin, the lower part of the center pin o@ finishes with the holding chops c7, to which the saw cs is to be secured in any convenient manner, the lower end of the saw is to be secured in the same manner to the lower stretcher Z2, of the saw frame, the parts being reversed and fitted with the addition of a tightening screw in the lower part of the sling as shown on the lower part of the detached Fig. 9 or a tightening screw may be applied at either or both ends of the saw frame.

lnside each of the uprights of the frame F is a pad c, slotted vertically, these carry between and on them a cross bar 02, with a lo-ng slot through it, and on the upper edge a set of upright pins f t 't it. The detached Fig. 6 is a plan and side form of a saw guide lever c3, made with a fork in one end. Vith this the workman is to guide the saw 08, by placing the lever through the slot in the bar c2, and directing the saw by the fork so as that the saw shall follow the curve of any line on the log by giving the saw a limited rotary motion on the center pins CG. A small keeper piece z with a fork is so secured by a slot and screw on the sling c5, with the fork above the saw chops c7, that by sliding the fork z down so as to ride the chops the saw will be kept in a straight course when needful to do so. 1n

Fig. 7 04 is a small-lever to lie between the pins t 'l t i", on the bar c2 and enable the workmen to relieve the saw frame if it should not slide freely by the gromets m on the saw gate. When in work the bar 02 is to be adjusted on the pads c', close above the lcg to sustain the lever c3 near the cut.

The detached Fig. 5 is an elevation of a head block fitted with my improvements by which the machine is made to eect a cut with a compound bevel or winding fall. In

this a is the head block secured on the carriage frames r9, a2, are slide ways across the machine to guide a cross slide forming a dog carriage a3, which has a return fianch behind, the lip of which passes beneath a slide piece at the back part of the head block to prevent any lifting of the back of the dog carriage c3 see Figs. 1 and 2, a rack 9 is secured to the under side of the carriage a3 and a pinion 10, on a shaft ll, within the head block gears into the rack 9 so as to allow of the carriage a3 being moved by hand by a small crank handle these parts are necessarily shown partially by dotted lines in Figs. 1, 3, and 5. The rack 9 may be set in the head block and the shaft 1l and pinion 10 on the under side of the carriage a3 if found most convenient.

A rotary shaft at is fitted into groinet journals on the dog carriage as, so that it has on it the eye of the gage bar a7 behind the four claw holding dog a5 a stop pieceJ a is fitted to enter between any two claws or prongs of the dog a5, and by a connecting screw through a segment slot the stop piece a connects the dog a5 and gage bar a7, so that the dog can only move around, with its shaft, as it is cont-rolled by the gage bar; this is made with holes through which a bolt and nut connect it through a long slot to the index arm as, the upper end of which has a short slot through which a bolt secures it to the apex of the quadrant frame a9 the legs of this are secured on or in the head block al and the lower end of the indeX arm a2 is connected at bs by a nut to a screw 3,342 i i i;`

shaftbg, which extends across the head block in journals beneath it and carries also a pinion b3 Awhich j gears into a` tooth rack n* on the bed piece inside the" frame c. The mounting of the index arm as may be varied by making the upper end with a pin to move in a slot in the apex of the quadrant frame insteadof a pin in the frameyand a slot through the arm. And a pivot may be made inamovable clamp secured byscrews on the back of the index arm afwith the pivot through the slot taking'into a lslot in the gage bar a? instead of a bolt orpin through holes in the gage bar, or any similar means of connecting these parts may be used which shall have the same practical etlfect when in operation.

Fig. 11 represents a. leading and movable head block d, iittedwith a lip Z2 to take the weight of the outer end of the log, andiwith a kerf cl3 cut from "the front of the lip (Z2 into the head block to pass the sawinand allow the lip Z2 to project between the sides of the saw gate and frame and before the saw where itis to receive that end ofthe log for the dog to enter; this head block may be iitted with the cross slides a2 carriage a rotary shaft and gromet journals aL and four claw holding dog a5 and with the rack 9, pinion 10, andshaft 11, asin the rst or follower' headbloclnor the rotary shaft and dog may be xed .on the headblock d, as shown in Figs. and 4.

The detached Fig. 8 represents a means of sustaining the bightof a crooked log when placed between the rotary holding dogs so as to relieve the strain with which the tendency of the bight of the crooked log to turn downward by its own weight will operate o-n the dogs and rotary gear. Inthis n, is a fulcruin on the carriage frame r9, sustaining a hook pointed lever h5 with a balance weight b?, hung on a slide eye taking into notches on the lever and operating like the pea of a steelyard, the hookpoint of the lever is shown as sustaining the bight of a crooked log b5, shown sectionally as it would appear in use with the log in the dogs, so that by moving the weight the power to sup port the log maybe effectively regulated.

Vhen the machine is thus prepared and the log to be sawed is in place between the dogs and `the lines or curves marked by which the saw isto out the linear shape, the attending workman is to guide the saw when in mot-ion with the forked lever c3 Fig. 6, by placing it through the slot in the bar c2 and giving the saw such a limited rotary motion on the center pins c6 as will follow the curves marked on the log, and where these are very abrupt a narrow saw with a wide set of teeth will `be needful. The saw with `its frame and gromets will slide laterally on the upper and lower stretchers of the sawgate as the workman directs the saw in the curve of the cut, and any `slight check to this motion may be removed",` by the workman using the lever c4' see Fig. 7 between the pins w w, and against one side of the saw frame.

`The length of the 'log and the amount of the required bevel or progressively increasing bevel being known, the index arm as and gage bar a7 are to be so set and connected together, that the number of turns made by the pinion b3 and screw shaft b2 in the length of the log by the pinion moving in the rack b4 shall carry the index arm as by the nut b1 such a distance as to move the gage bar al from the commencing position gradually to the position which will give the amount of bevel required at the finish of the cut and the tie or connection made between thegage bar a7 and rotary dog a5 by the slotj ted stop piece a compels the dog and log to rotate with themotion of the gage bar and known.` Then if the gage bar a7 be jointed at that part the extent of rotary motion of the gage'bar will be the same, and the dog and log will rotate to the same extent so that the saw will form a winding face on the log arithmetic-ally and Certainly the same in the difference between the com` mencement and finish of the cut. By these means timber may be converted into any required form for any given purpose, cheaply, expeditiously, and certainly in many cases with a. considerable saving of material in the shape of valuable timber.

The means of reversing the motion of the index arm as and gage bar a? are to be furnished by the changeable arrangement of the. pinion 3 with the rack bt shown in the detached F igs. 12, 13` and 14C. In these the screw shaft b2 is shown with the pinion b3 on itas before, but placed on so as to come one side of the rack and not gear into it. A lever (Z4 is fixed with a fulcrum beneath,

`o`r within the head block, and has a. forked end in which the wide pinion (Z5 is mountedL so that one half the width of the pinion gears into the rack b4, below and the other half into the pinion b3 in front, the hand end of this lever is to overlie two pins (see t the sawwill form the face of the wood with Fig. 13), which may be set into some near and convenient fixture in the headblock;'

while in this position. the lever al* holds the pinion Z5 into gear with the pinion b3 and rack Zit and the pinion and screw shaft b2 will work in the contrary direct-ion to that which they would take if the pinion b3 geared into the rack b4. By placing the hand end of the lever it beneath the pins shown in Fig. 13 the pinion Z3 is lifted out of gear with the rack b4, and left at liberty to run as the pinion b3 may carry it. On the outer end of the shaft 792 and outside the rack b4 is a second pinion d made to slide on the shaft b2 by a feather key, and having a clutch on the center with the fork of the vertical lever Z7 in it. The fulcrum of this lever is to be so set on or above the headblock that by moving the lever in the direction of the arrow Fig. 14 the fork and clutch will slide the pinion Z6 on the shaft b2 and int-o gear with the rack bt thereby reversing the motion of the shaft and screw Z22 and that of the index arm and gage bar so as to turn the dog and log in the opposite direction. By these means used successively a log may be shaped with a compound of various bevels in the face of the cut according to the requirements for use and at the discretion of the workmandand the mode of making these changes may be varied to suit the construction and convenience of 'different mills by using any other` competent mechanical means to effect the same object.

I do not mean to confine myself to the mode herein described of mounting the saw frame by sliding gromets on the sawgate stretchers to obtain a controllable lateral motionv of the sawframe and saw but to employ any other similar mechanical means that may be the same in effect though varying in the precise form, nor do I mean to conine myself to the mode described and shown of driving the saw and the connected apparatus by power communicated from above the saw and fixed framing, as the driving power can be communicated or connected from below by any common and well known mechanical means now in use, without any substantial departure from the general arrangement herein described, nor do I intend to limit myself to the precise mode of mounting and guiding the sawgate on the frame F as it may be mounted in metal or wood in various ways, nor do I confine myself to the use of the rotary guiding apparatus of the headblock at one end of the machine, but I intend to use a full set at each end when needful. I also intend to use a plurality of saws in the sawframe when the nature of the work in progress allows or requires more than one saw. I also intend to provide and attach dividing plates and indices on the rotary shaft of the dogs so as to saw logs into masts or for other purposes with any defined or required number of sides and with any required amount of taper in the length, and I do not intend to limit myself to the particular materials for constructing the machine that are described herein o-r shown in the drawings but I intend to use wood or metal for either the fixed or mot-ive parts or for both as may be convenient or proper.

I do not claim to have invented any of the separate parts used in the construction of the whole machinery herein described, all of such separate parts being well known and in general use for various mechanical purposes, neither' do I claim herein the mode of mounting the saw and chops o7 in the slings by the center bolts 00 as a means to allow the saw a rota-ry motion or a direction other than a straight line, this mode of mounting the saw being included in my patent dated the second of July one thousand eight hundred and forty two, but

What I do claim as new and of my own invention is as follows.

l. The mode of mounting the saw es in an interior frame supported within the saw gate and enabled to slide laterally on the head piece t, and foot piece It', of the saw gate by the gromets m, fm, m, m, as herein described.

Q. The combination of the rotary holding dog a5 and gage bar a?, with the index arm as for the purpose of rotating the log to cut a winding bevel, and in combination with these parts, thus combined I claim the screw shaft, for vibrating the index arm, and pinions and rack for turning the screw and reversing its motion-for the purpose and in the manner substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I the said James IIamilton have hereunto set my hand in the city of New York this eighth day of April in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty three, and in the presence of the witnesses subscribing hereto.

J AMES HAMILTON. c

I/Vitnesses ARTHUR L. MCINTIRE, IV, I). N, FITZGERALD, 

